This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Gen. Wesley Clark: Protect farmers and hold thin green line

The harsh reality is America&rsquo;s political leaders must take appropriate measures today to ensure that farmers do not become an endangered species tomorrow&mdash;a loss we cannot afford.
I am no farm policy expert, but I know about national security, and I know that farmers are as important today as they were in 1942.

Feb 22, 2011

From the Kansas City Star:

When the United States rationed food during World War II so citizens and soldiers had enough to eat, the Secretary of Agriculture often repeated the slogan: “Food will win the war and write the peace.”

I think of these words every time I read an article or see a fringe group attacking the modern-day farmer.

The harsh reality is America’s political leaders must take appropriate measures today to ensure that farmers do not become an endangered species tomorrow—a loss we cannot afford.

I am no farm policy expert, but I know about national security, and I know that farmers are as important today as they were in 1942.

Of course, meeting America’s needs is more challenging today because the U.S. population has nearly tripled over the past 70 years and continues an upward march. Meanwhile, the number of farms has plummeted, leaving just 210,000 full-time farms to feed, fuel and clothe more than 300 million Americans.